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Bestselling author Jeff Goins dismantles the myth that being creative is a hindrance to success by revealing how an artistic temperament is in fact a competitive advantage.

For centuries, the myth of the starving artist has dominated our culture, seeping into the minds of creative people and stifling their pursuits. But the truth is that the world's most successful artists did not starve.

In fact, they capitalized on the power of their creative strength. In Real Artists Don't Starve, Jeff Goins debunks the myth of the starving artist by unveiling the ideas that created it and replacing them with timeless strategies for thriving, including:

steal from your influences (don't wait for inspiration),

collaborate with others (working alone is a surefire way to starve),

take strategic risks (instead of reckless ones),

make money in order to make more art (it's not selling out), and

apprentice under a master (a "lone genius" can never reach full potential).

Through inspiring anecdotes of successful creatives both past and present, Goins shows that living by these rules is not only doable but it's also a fulfilling way to thrive.

From graphic designers and writers to artists and business professionals, creatives already know that no one is born an artist. Goins' revolutionary rules celebrate the process of becoming an artist, a person who utilizes the imagination in fundamental ways. He reminds creatives that business and art are not mutually exclusive pursuits. In fact, success in business and in life flow from a healthy exercise of creativity.

Expanding upon the groundbreaking work in his previous bestseller The Art of Work, Goins explores the tension every creative person and organization faces in an effort to blend the inspired life with a practical path to success. Being creative isn't a disadvantage for success; rather, it is a powerful tool to be harnessed.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Jeff Goins doesn't just show us how to be more creative. He also reveals a path for turning our art into business and our business into art. Every entrepreneur, writer, and artist should read this book and take notes." --DANIEL H. PINK, author of Drive and To Sell Is Human

"Jeff Goins has established himself as a fresh and dynamic voice inspir­ing us to get out of our own way and produce our best work. Real Artists Don't Starve is the work of angels: a book every aspiring writer, artist, and creative must read." --STEVEN PRESSFIELD, bestselling author of The War of Art

"Anyone trying to make a living from their creative work will find much to steal here." --AUSTIN KLEON, author of Steal Like an Artist

"Jeff puts to rest the myth of the starving artist. Artists not only deserve to be well rewarded, but there are more opportunities than ever for them to make it happen. This book is not only the blueprint, it's also Jeff's personal artistic manifesto. And now it's mine." --JAMES ALTUCHER, author and entrepreneur

"Goins dispels the myth that being a creative is some illusive, mysterious dimension reserved for a chosen few. A great book for anyone bogged down by old­-fashioned ideas about what it takes to be a thriving artist."--LISA CONGDON, artist and author of Art Inc

About the Author

Jeff Goins is a writer, speaker, and entrepreneur. He is the best-selling author of five books, including The Art of Work and Real Artists Don't Starve. His award-winning blog Goinswriter.com is visited by millions of people every year. He lives with his family just outside of Nashville, where he makes the world's best guacamole.

Top customer reviews

Real Artists Don't Starve is a feel good book of anecdotes and research about artists of all stripes who have come to a point where they can make a living. It is not so much about the practical aspects (such as how to do it within specific industries or avenues to pursue) as it is anecdotal and inspirational.

If you have read more than a few books/blogs about being an artist and making a living, particularly those of a more inspirational bent, you won't really find anything new here.

Despite that, the way that the stories are told is nicely done. I enjoyed it and found it a light and quick read and will probably read it again at some point. It's one of those books that's better suited to someone who needs encouragement rather than practical instructions.

Every once in a while an idea is audacious enough to knock us off our track and help us see ourselves in a new light. The validation of creativity in recent years helped us believe we weren't as crazy as we once thought, but in REAL ARTISTS DON'T STARVE, Jeff Goins calls out our identity as Thriving Artists. The New Renaissance is an era in which artists have self-respect and tenacity. We don't work for free, we value our own work and communicate that value to the world.

The stories in the book are both inspiring and empowering. As an author and performer, I needed the validation Goins offers in this book. I want my work to matter, so I'd better not starve. I recommend this book as a must read for anyone who considers themselves to be creative. It's time to thrive.

I've had a creative and entrepreneurial awakening reading this book. I realized I've been believing myths my entire life that you have to suffer and be broke for the sake of your art. Jeff Goins turns this ridiculous idea on it's head and teaches you timeless principles for how to THRIVE as an artist!

I loved reading about how Michelangelo was not in fact a starving artist like we all believed but was in fact worth the equivalent of $50 million freaking dollars... he even demanded to be paid for his internship.

So the the world's most quintessential starving artist, Michelangelo, didn't even work for free, or cheap for that matter. So why should we as artists suffer for a myth? As a professional photographer and photography educator I'm already implementing and sharing the amazing stories and lessons in this book to my students.

I found this book to be incredibly challenging and encouraging at the same time. Goins offers up more than a gimmicky "plan" to make money as an artist and instead presents the bigger and much more important challenge of shifting one's whole perspective and conception of what a true artist is in the first place. His research into the history and real-life stories of a wide range of creative people are incredibly helpful in seeing how this seismic shift in core ideas ultimately looks unique for each artist or entrepreneur. From this, I feel encouraged to question my own presuppositions about life as a creative person and challenge myself to grow. Highly worth reading and really soaking in.

Just finished reading the book for the first time. I plan to read again, this time marking it up. This is not just a great book to read, but it provides a lot of great ideas for doing the work that one wishes or wants to do. It's not about sticking to one chosen career field for life, but rather pursuing the things that we truly enjoy and/or find valuable for others or the world. I'm nearing 40, and would like to write some books in the future. I do think the book provides ideas that are helpful in this area: This book provides a lot of inspirational stories, and some principles, for succeeding in a creative venture. It's not specifically about writing, painting, or entrepreneurship, but it touches on all of these things by looking at "creativity" through a broad lens. Stylistically, I felt like the book was kind of set up like a Malcolm Gladwell book just because there's a lot of storytelling and reporting on interviews and the like.

Wow! Jeff did an amazing job showing the disconnect between Starving Artists and Thriving Artists. The word Artist can be misconstrued as a person who only does drawings and paintings. The truth of the matter is that we are all artists when it comes to what we do on a daily basis and when we strive to take on our dreams. Goins breaks down the myths behind artists and builds a case that we can all take our “art” out in the marketplace while not having to reinvent the wheel.

That quote from "Real Artists Don't Starve" is very revealing. Are you stubborn enough?

You can read hundreds of biographies, do hundreds of interviews and distill that information into common principles and strategies others have followed to be successful as an artist in their chosen fields of endeavor OR you can get your copy of "Real Artists Don't Starve" today and benefit from this work already done for you by Jeff Goins. This might just inspire you to take that first or next step in living your dream and not starving while doing so.

To me having someone else do all the research and providing his findings is worth the small investment needed to purchase this book. I think it would be a worthwhile investment for you too.

"You can do extraordinary things when you are patiently persistent." Reading and learning what others have done to be successful is one of those patiently persistent things you need to do to increase your chances of your success. This book will help you achieve that goal.

You will learn some things you didn't know, be reminded of some things you already knew and many misconceptions you thought you knew will be clarified. In the process you might just be inspired to say if they can do it I can too and take action to live YOUR dream.